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The course aims to complete the competence on the cognitive processes through the deepening of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the application tools. The necessary empirical foundations and interdisciplinary aspects of these instruments will be considered.
A special emphasis will be placed on applications concerning individuals and organizations, related to the development of cognitive systems and models. Part of the course will be devoted to the analysis of the relationships between knowledge and work and technological contexts (task analysis, transfer of learning, innovation, cognitive ergonomics, etc.
Combination of traditional lectures and classroom discussion of the project selected by each student.
Program for students who follow the course for 6 credits
Choice of one of the three parts of the course (see program for 9 credits)
1. Cognitive systems and models. 2. Methods of applied cognitive science. 3. Knowledge and technology. Applications of cognitive psychology
Program for students who follow the course for 9 credits
This program is valid also for students of Psychology who follow the course for 8 credits.
According to the interests of the students some of the following topics will be treated with different levels of depth.
1. Cognitive systems and models
Attention and errors. Attentional resources and interference. Attention models. Attentional problems in application domain. Problems of spatial attention and visual search. Situation awareness. Workloads. GEMS model of human error. Errors in the medical field. Methods on error detection.
Implicit processes. Techniques of semantic priming. Implicit learning. Tests of implicit association and other attitude assessment techniques.
Representation and knowledge management. Pattern recognition and perceptual organization. Perceptual constancy and reference system. Perceptual problems in the application domain. Inductive analogical reasoning. Categorization in the medical field. Ontologies. Limitations in mnemonic resources: problems in application field. Representation of formal and structured knowledge. Declarative and procedural knowledge. Diagrammatic representations and diagrammatic reasoning. Theory of conceptual dependency. Inferences, spontaneous processing, curiosity. Role of schemata in human error theory. Representation of time.
Problem solving. Cognitive theory of problem solving. Problem solving and planning. Creativity and innovation. Reasoning.
Judgment and decision. Judgment on the causes. Judgment on probability. Decision: symbolic and nonsimbolic strategies. Psychoeconomic models. Decision-making procedures.
2. Methods of applied cognitive sciences
Empirical study of cognitive processes. Fundamentals of a cognitive experiment: main research methodology concepts. Analysis of experiments.
Simulation methodology. Definition of cognitive systems. Systems theory. Cognitive science. Concept of "model" and simulation models. Validation of simulation models. Cybernetics, information, artificial intelligence. Symbolic models and neural networks. Cognitive architectures. Techniques of personality simulation. The approach of dynamical systems. Agent simulations.
Questionnaires and content analysis. Questionnaire techniques. Focus groups. Methods of content analysis.
Job analysis, job design methods. Analysis of skills. Cognitive mapping and causal mapping. Task analysis. Methods of cognitive task analysis, process charting methods, methods of error detection, methods of situation awareness and of mental overload assessment, methods of analysis of the interfaces.
3. Knowledge and technology. Applications of cognitive psychology
Ergonomics. Human-machine interaction. Situation awareness. Design and usability. Diagrammatic reasoning: assembly instructions.
Cognitive psychology and economics. Economic decisions, consumer decisions, risk assessment.
Case study: problem solving in a call center. Psychological time and work in a glass factory.
Assistive applications. IM4U, an assistive robotic project.
Bibliography for students who follow the course for 6 credits
For attending students lecture notes and slides of the course will be sufficient. Slides will be available on “Aulaweb” at the end of each block of lessons.
For non-attending students:
A. GRECO, Sistemi e modelli cognitivi, Roma, Aracne, 2011 or one article among those listed on “Aulaweb”.
Bibliography for students who follow the course for 9 credits
Attending students
Non-attending students
1) A. GRECO, Sistemi e modelli cognitivi, Roma, Aracne, 2011
2) Reading of an article among those listed on “Aulaweb”.
Ricevimento: Office hours of prof. Greco at the following link: cognilab.disfor.unige.it/greco/ricevim.htm
ALBERTO GRECO (President)
STEFANIA MORETTI
PAOLA VITERBORI
Start of class: September 27, 2016
Oral exam
Oral examination on the topics covered in class and report on articles (in English) to be chosen among recommended ones. The attending students are given the option of presenting a brief report that will be discussed in the classroom and also at the final oral along with lecture notes.
Although the lectures will be delivered in Italian, on request the Lecturer will provide a comprehensive collection of teaching materials in English for the final exam (on "Aulaweb"), and this exam can be taken in English. On request of students, part of lectures can be delivered in English.
The more detailed program, the schedule of classes, study material and other detailed information to the exam procedure will be available on “Aulaweb”.
Students can attend the Laboratory of Psychology and Cognitive Science to participate in the preparation, administration and analysis of cognitive psychology experiments (see http://cognilab.disfor.unige.it).
